Birmingham city centre welcomes the highly anticipated Fillet of Soul – a brand new dine-in and takeaway fish and chips restaurant on Bennett’s Hill.
After living in Stirchley and having one of the best fish and chips in the city just a few minutes away from my house, alongside having parent’s who source some of the very best haddock produce available in the country for their Lincolnshire pub, I deserve the title of fish snob. I’ve tried the best and I know what is best. I’m not even sorry about it.
I wasn’t able to attend the blogger event for Fillet of Soul’s new opening, which, by the looks of it, had a successful turn out of local press, bloggers and food writers. The next day I purposely took myself for a chippy tea here before heading out for celebratory cocktails. Honestly, it was so nice to attend on my own accord as I got to experience this place for what it really is, and not just for the hype on social media. I arrived around 4:30pm on a Thursday afternoon and the inside appeared dark. So much so, I wasn’t even sure if the restaurant was open. It was, I just happened to be the only one in there.
Not your average chip shop, the drinks list is pretty noteworthy. Marketing a range of cocktails, g&t’s, beers and ciders, Fillet of Soul would be a great place to visit if you’re heading out for a night out and want to grab some pre-drinks alongside a hefty portion of fried foods. The menu is select, with cod or haddock options available. In this instance I opted for the Mini Cod & Chips (£5.50) with a side serving of Homemade Curry Sauce (V) for an extra quid. A bit crazy that options also include tapas-style dishes including Indian spiced fritters and sweetcorn hush puppies – but if it works for them, then good for them. Loaded chips for a fiver also sounds tempting although not something I’d order from a chip shop. Not forgetting, they serve ice cream sundaes for the gluttonous ones.
The city centre has been crying out for decent fish and chips for as long as I can remember, and I’m pleased to say the food here is good. Each order is cooked from fresh and my own mini portion came with a generous amount of chips, cooked in beef dripping (with a choice of rapeseed oil for you vegeterians and vegans). The fish has the perfect amount of thick batter and doesn’t arrive swimming in grease. The cod itself was flakey, served piping hot with a thick crunch. The best bit of the meal was definitely the homemade curry sauce – a thick fragrant recipe bursting with flavour. Ideal for dunking your chips and being mopped up with the remainder of your fish. Reasonably priced produce means it’s an ideal spot for those leaving work and don’t want to hang around. Goujon, fried chicken and chip baps are readily available for those wanting a quick bite without taking a table.
Fillet of Soul have a good central location in the city which is continuing to flourish with new openings, they’ll no doubt do well from serving hungry customers. For those who do want to eat in, there’s a sturdy amount of tables available. All dishes are cooked fresh to order and no booking is required. Customers can sign up to the mailing list to enjoy dine-in and takeaway offers going out each week.
Fillet of Soul is open 12pm – 10pm from Wednesday – Sunday. There’s no booking system and offer both dine-in or takeaway options. Click + Collect is now also available. Please note, I paid for my meal in full.
Fillet of Soul, 11 Bennetts Hill, Birmingham, B2 5RS